Fleishman-Hillard / American Marketing Association 2009 Sustainability Survey

Despite Economic Pressures, Majority of Companies Plan to Increase Emphasis on Sustainability

Customer demand and the economic environment are driving a continued commitment to sustainability, according to a survey by the American Marketing Association and Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.

CHICAGO, April 8, 2009 — When it comes to investing in sustainable business behaviors and programs, more than half of corporate marketers and communicators believe that their organizations will increase their involvement in environmental sustainability initiatives during the next two to three years, according to a survey conducted by the American Marketing Association and Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. In addition, half of those surveyed believe that economic realities will actually encourage the adoption of sustainability practices.

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What’s in a name?

Ask 10 people to define “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility” – or better yet, distinguish between the two – and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. Here’s how we see it, borrowing from some well-accepted definitions:

“Sustainability” is…

“Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” – Brundtland Commission, 1987.

“Corporate social responsibility” is…

“CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making.” – Wikipedia

“CSR is not a marketing or branding strategy – it’s a business and operational strategy, and an important way to manage business.” – Paul Argenti, chief advisor to Fleishman-Hillard affiliate CCW (Communications Consulting Worldwide)

Both sustainability and CSR can be measured by the “triple bottom line”…

An accounting and reporting framework that measures an organization’s progress along three lines: “economic prosperity, environmental quality and social justice.” – John Elkington, founder of SustainAbility and author of “Cannibals With Forks”